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Two cars arrive at a mini roundabout at the same time, diametrically opposite from each other (ie, 'head on' if you will). One is going straight on, the other is turning right.
Who, if anyone, has right of way?
My understanding of the rules: the one turning right.
My understanding of how people work: whoever is more assertive.
Thats on the assumtion that the one turnign right actually bothers with the indicator.
I'd cede to the one turning right as there's little margin for error/confusion on a mini roundabout and I'd prefer to avoid a crash!
My understanding of the rules: the one turning right.
My understanding of how people work: whoever is more assertive.
This is my understanding.
The one turning right. But never trust anyone at a mini-roundabout.
None. It's priority not right of way.
Edited to add, Big Jobber is a good place to look for answers to things like these.
Here's a link to a mini roundabout collision he's looked at...
No one has "right of way" that's not a term in the Highway Code. Its the one turning right who has priority. But mini roundabouts confuse some drivers, so be prepared for someone to ignore the actual rules
Nobody has priority because you haven't crossed the lines.
In theory, if you both set off across the line together then the straight-onner will be clear before the right-turner begins to turn, but few people drive around them properly.
It's a roundabout, go round it 🤣
give way to people approaching from the right and people already on the roundabout (or arrived there first). if everybody arrives at the same time, the one on the 'right' goes first. If people look like they don't know whats going on, or who has priority, I generally let them proceed regardless, to 'get them out of the way'
if everybody arrives at the same time, the one on the 'right' goes first.
The Highway Code doesn't say that.
Rule 185
When reaching the roundabout you should
give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights
check whether road markings allow you to enter the roundabout without giving way. If so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining
watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all
look forward before moving off to make sure traffic in front has moved off.
How many exits?
No one has "right of way" that's not a term in the Highway Code.
Ok, yes. You know what I mean though I assume.
How many exits?
Three. The two aforementioned diametrically opposite entry/exits, and the exit being taken by the car turning right. There would be no corresponding potential right turn exit for the car going straight on.
I'm not entirely sure what difference that makes to anything, but I'll leave it a little longer before explaining why I ask (and my own reasoning).
Oh, and as someone else mentioned it,
The car turning right was indicating correctly.
I hope you’re not sat waiting at said roundabout for a definitive answer as there’ll be a right queue forming behind you…
so be prepared for someone to ignore the actual rules
Or, as most do round here, ignore the roundabout completely
I'm not entirely sure what difference that makes to anything, but I'll leave it a little longer before explaining why I ask (and my own reasoning).
If there were 4 and both drivers were turning left then they aren’t crossing paths.
If one is turning right then they have priority, if both are turning right then just be sensible one party yields letting the other go.
Have you had a bump?
The person who has the biggestest cr that is obviously way more important than those in inferior motor vehicles. See also temporary lights that are on red, and you are stationary at them, if you own a Range Rover for example you can overtake me and go through the lights…..
If one is turning right then they have priority, if both are turning right then just be sensible one party yields letting the other go.
It's not about turning right but approaching from the right.
If neither are on the roundabout then neither has priority. See highway code rule 185 posted above
The Highway Code doesn't say that.
I din't say that it does. AFAIK the highway code offers no advice to drivers if everyone arrives at a roundabout simultaneously
AFAIK the highway code offers no advice to drivers if everyone arrives at a roundabout simultaneously
Once upon a time I went on a driving course as a result of an - ahem - unintended crash.
The above question came up - and the answer given by the instructors was that "someone always arrives first - and that driver has priority".
It was a particularly uninspiring answer, but to pass the course no-one wanted to argue about it.
So, it's probably the one with the biggest car, or the one with the most awareness of what's happening.
There's a mini roundabout near me that was a crossroads until about 2008, and some people still stop on the "main" road and flash the "minor" road users across...
Drivers are basically shit and we should all be retested every 5 years.
Has the mini roundabout got a big and poorly executed red cross on it?
Its a round about, just go. The one turning right will pass behind the one going ahead.
If the arrive at the same time, there is no issue, and if one arrives ahead of another, theyre already on the round about so have priority.
its infalliable, as long as everyone behaves, and doesnt cut the roundabout (effectively going the wrong way around it)
The above question came up - and the answer given by the instructors was that "someone always arrives first - and that driver has priority".
Well, that's plainly nonsense unless you're going to get out a Warhammer tape measure and a stopwatch.
Its a round about, just go
I did this once at a 3 exit mini-roundabout.. the car turning right cut the roundabout as it was just a painted circle on the road and honked at me. I laughed at him, so that meant I had priority 😆 .
it was here - I was going south to north, he was going north to west.
I don't see "he person approaching from the right can be correct". They are behind the sametype junction lines as you itf they aren't its not a roundabout?. If you approach and see the way is clear and pull out and someone blast through their giveway line and t bones you they are clearly at fault.
The only person that has actually priority and must be given way is the person on the roundabout ie has no control line to cross.
Alton os easily the worst place o have been for people thinking straight ahead is the priority and ignoring the fact a roundabout exist. Three roundabout and three separate toots when i was on the roundabout well before they got to the line.
Its a round about, just go. The one turning right will pass behind the one going ahead.
If the arrive at the same time, there is no issue, and if one arrives ahead of another, theyre already on the round about so have priority.
its infalliable, as long as everyone behaves, and doesnt cut the roundabout (effectively going the wrong way around it)
This is how I understand it too. Is there some trick question that I'm not understanding?
In theory, the one going right should be indicating so they get right of way.
In reality, the idiot turning right won't be indicating so you both come to a stop, then both go, then stop again, then go again at which time the right turner cuts straight across the straight-on driver leading to beeping of horns at the non-indicating imbecile and the onlooker realises how driving standards in the UK have gone right down the pan.
If the arrive at the same time, there is no issue, and if one arrives ahead of another, theyre already on the round about so have priority.
This but seems that a lot of drivers are unaware this "minor" detail 🤣
Going by what I see on the roads it is whoever is on the roundabout first...
Going by what I see on the roads it is whoever is on the roundabout first...
I find it's whoever is the least hesitant. When my old man was going funny in the head he never stopped or cared who had right-of-way at roundabouts, he just went. Never did him any harm lol
Most seem to be able to do roundabouts when they are medium-sized and with 12-3-6-9 exits, but make a roundabout smaller or not have the exits 90degrees from each other or have a number of legs that is not 4 and anything can happen.
So, it's probably the one with the biggest car, or the one with the most awareness of what's happening.
Agreed – if I ever got into a situation where multiple cars are all stopped, I just set off – somebody has to break the impasse.
leading to beeping of horns
hot take nobody asked for: Horns should cost £10 a beep.
You could still use it when you needed it, but it would reduce the number of people using it for aggression.
if you both arrive at that junction so the front of your car simultaneously hits the give way line at the same exact moment and at the same speed, the car heading from the bottom will have cleared the exit on the side before the car heading from the top needs to turn across their path. clearly if the car from the top gets to / crosses the line first then the sensible decision for the driver from the bottom is to wait. The real issue is when you both find yourselves waiting for other traffic and then stationary trying to guess who will be most hesitant. In those circumstances a bit of common sense usually works - if there is “traffic” one or more of the exists may not actually be clear, or holding one up delays many more people needlessly. If you have ended up in an argument about it you are probably at least partly wrong! Drivers who aren’t able to calmly resolve potential conflicts (even when sure they are right) may not deserve to be on the road.Its a round about, just go
I did this once at a 3 exit mini-roundabout.. the car turning right cut the roundabout as it was just a painted circle on the road and honked at me. I laughed at him, so that meant I had priority 😆 .
it was here - I was going south to north, he was going north to west.
Of course if one of you is on a bike it changes the equation, the chances you have been seen and the risks if it goes wrong.
I hope you’re not sat waiting at said roundabout for a definitive answer as there’ll be a right queue forming behind you…
Well actually, if he's going straight on there can't be a right queue. It will be a straight on queue, a left queue, or a combination thereof.
So this is what happened.
I was going straight on, pretty much as desperate bicycle describes in their photo. A car arrived at the same time coming from the opposite direction, indicating right.
I figured, we both have equal priority, so we could/should both set off and the other driver will turn right behind me. I also figured, bugger a Mexican Standoff, I'm not sitting here dithering all day.
I set off, so did the other driver, who took a diagonal across the roundabout forcing me to stop. My partner yelled at me, which is her wont when I'm driving as whatever happens it's always my fault. I think she believes I sneak out at nights to dig potholes in the road because that's somehow my fault too.
My initial reaction was yeah, fair cop, he's coming from the right so I should have yielded.
Then I thought, hang on, no, he wasn't approaching from the right, he was turning right and that's not the same thing. I was correct in the first place.
Then I thought, well, if his entrance was further clockwise on the roundabout then he would have been approaching from the right and I'd have been in the wrong. But, if it were further anticlockwise then that puts me on the right regardless of what exits anyone is taking. Then I wondered exactly what angular threshold constitutes "from the right," presumably the simplified street signage rather than being expected to eyeball a 181' angle?
Then I thought, I know, I'll throw it on STW, it's sure to cause an argument. 😁
For what it's worth, I think with hindsight my original instincts were correct. Neither of us had priority, we were both correct in proceeding and the error here was the other driver shortcutting rather than going around the roundabout.
if you both arrive at that junction so the front of your car simultaneously hits the give way line at the same exact moment and at the same speed, the car heading from the bottom will have cleared the exit on the side before the car heading from the top needs to turn across their path. clearly if the car from the top gets to / crosses the line first then the sensible decision for the driver from the bottom is to wait.
This is my understanding too. I don't see why anyone thinks this is complicated.
while you roundabout experts are all here - is my understanding that you cannot do a full circuit of a mini roundabout (i.e. to go back down the road you came on?) correct?
if you both arrive at that junction... etc etc
Wow what a lot of typy typy words I really can't be arsed to read
For what it's worth, I think with hindsight my original instincts were correct. Neither of us had priority, we were both correct in proceeding and the error here was the other driver shortcutting rather than going around the roundabout.
That's a fair take on it.
while you roundabout experts are all here - is my understanding that you cannot do a full circuit of a mini roundabout (i.e. to go back down the road you came on?) correct?
As in 180deg? I do that most times on our weekly ride because of the parking setup. I'm not alone in that either: 3 mini roundabouts in the space of a couple of hundred metres, folk spin around them all the time to change direction. Normal for there.
In theory, the one going right should be indicating so they get right of way.
I have this exact same set up turning into my estate. I am always the one turning right across traffic coming straight over. There are also 3 exits.
Even indicating way in advance, I could write my car off any day I chose to as people just don't understand who has priority (which is me). I also ride in on my motorbike which is a little more worrying.
OK, now that Cougar's query has been concluded (ha!), how about this one. We have this exact junction setup near us and it causes frequent arguments in the local FB group. Who has priority: red car or blue car?
And no, they didn't have a race 😀
I have my definite view on this but always proceed with caution - no point being right if it causes a bump. It doesn't help that the main road traversing left-right is a 40mph with slightly limited visibility in both directions, and can be unpleasant if you end up partway out the junction and having to stop. Used to be NSL until a few years ago.